So I was able to make it to Game Night this past Tuesday in spite of the rain.  It was a good gaming night.

I walked in just after Adam who happened to have his copy of Macao.  Everyone else was already in a game so I helped him set up Macao.  We persuaded David and Michelle to join in.  They were first time players.  But you wouldn’t have know it from the way Michelle played.  She did a really good job of matching and synching her cards.  This is mainly because she stayed in first on the wall most of the game, which allowed her first choice of cards.  I had tried this strategy in the last game I played but I wasn’t as married to it as she was and it didn’t work out for me.  She stayed ahead the whole game, at least one full space ahead.  It was good to see that I had had the right idea about this.  She parlayed it into as really strong gold and cube engine and translated it into a second place win.  Adam ultimately won due to his monopolizing one of the trade goods and building a respectable section of town.  David and I battled for third place the whole time for the most part (though I stayed in first place for the frist 4 or so turns).  In the end I maintained my third place record in this game. 

I am enamored with this game despite never doing that well.  It’s hard decisions and strategic planning are so sweet.  I have a strategy for the next game that coupled with trying to stay in first or second on the wall should prove more successful. 

Next, Adam and I broke out Forbidden Island.  He had not played so I taught him what was what as we set up and we were off.  Things went pretty good for a while but we ended up losing with 3 or 4 tiles left.  One of the artifacts’ areas sunk on us.  End game.

When we finished Chris and Josh joined us for another game of FI.  Though we played well we lose on the last card draw.  I really like this game.  It’s quick, inspires thinking and cooperation, and is very pretty.  It is currently Z’s favorite.  I’m training him for Pandemic with it.

Lastly we played a 4 handed No Thanks! game.  I did really well on the first three rounds but the rest of the guys ganged up on me because I was so far ahead that I ended up coming in … third.

Earlier in the week Z and O and I played a game of Carcassonne and one of Forbidden Island (O’s first of this one).  They both went well.  Carcassonne is another favorite of the family.  They are comfortable enough with it to play with the farmers now.

It was a good game week.  Hopefully I’ll get another game or two in tonight or tomorrow or Sunday.